Police: School employee fired arrow through wall

TAMPA — A Hillsborough County schools employee was arrested Thursday night after he accidentally fired an arrow through the wall of his apartment and into his neighbor's, police said.

Ronald Reaco Budd, 42, was testing out his new crossbow about 11 p.m. Thursday in his home at Carlyle At Waters apartments, 8415 N Armenia Ave., according to Tampa police. Budd had been firing the crossbow at a target placed against a wall when he decided to correct the sight on the crossbow. The next shot missed the target, went through the wall and into the bedroom of the next apartment, landing a few feet away from an empty baby's bassinet.

The resident of that apartment — Angel Jose Tejada, 33, — heard the noise and walked into the room to find the arrow, and a hole in his wall, according to police. Tejada's wife, daughter and infant son were home, but no one had been in the room when the arrow came through.

Tejada called police. Two officers, a corporal, and a crime scene technician responded. Budd was arrested on one count of shooting into an occupied dwelling, a felony, and was booked into a Hillsborough County jail. He was released Friday afternoon. Budd works at ATOSS, according to Hillsborough County school records, a program that is an alternative to out-of-school suspensions. He has worked for the school district since 1996.